This invention relates generally to soap dispensers for dispensing flowable soap and the like. More particularly, this invention relates to improvements in various components of such soap dispensers which, when individually used, or used in concert, provide soap dispensers which are more advantageously operable and more perfectly controllably operable over any of the prior flowable soap dispensers. According to the present invention, the improvements to the soap dispenser components may include an improved actuating or dispensing lever positioning and control, certain adjustable means for selectively varying the quantity of soap dispensed on each dispenser actuation, certain other adjustable means for selectively varying the operational speed of the dispenser and thereby the time required for each dispenser complete dispensing operation, an improved dispensing nozzle formed to prevent inadvertent stoppage or misdirection of the soap being dispensed thereby as could otherwise be caused by a person using the dispenser, an improved support for a main soap supply container so that the same may be selectively removed and replaced to replenish the soap supply without danger of inadvertent soap dispensing during such replacement operation, and a unique overall assembly of the dispenser major components permitting ready and convenient disassembly for usual required maintenance operations.
Various prior soap dispensers for dispensing flowable soap and the like have heretofor been provided, but despite the relatively extensive prior development thereof, many deficiencies are still apparent. Flowable soap dispensers encompass broadly two basic types, one type for dispensing granular soap and another type for dispensing liquid soap, although many of the components thereof can be quite similar and improvements to such components can frequently be applied to both. Referring specifically to these prior flowable liquid soap dispensers, a quite common form thereof has included a dispensing cylinder enclosing a reciprocal piston, the piston being at rest at one cylinder end during cylinder automatic soap filling following a dispensing stroke, the piston being reciprocated to force the charge of soap to be dispensed at or near the opposite piston end and the piston returning to "at rest" position for the next piston automatic soap refilling. Furthermore, many of these prior soap dispensers have included soap supply containers which, rather than being permanently affixed and requiring soap supply replenishment directly into the dispenser itself, are supported conveniently removable and replaceable with a new soap-filled container.
One of the major deficiencies with the prior forms of cylinder-type of soap dispensers has been the manner of actuation of the soap dispensing cylinders during the dispensing operation. Obviously, some form of actuating or dispensing lever must be provided operably connected for moving the piston within the dispensing cylinder in its determined soap dispensing strokes. In most of the prior cylinder-type of soap dispensers, these cylinder actuating levers have been inefficiently positioned not the most conveniently accessible to the dispenser operator, have relatively small operating surfaces required to be contacted by the dispenser operator and are connected to the piston of the cylinder for transmitting the actuating force therebetween on a maximum force requirement one to one basis. The combination of these factors has frequently resulted in the actuating levers being relatively difficult and inconvenient of operation.
Another deficiency in the prior soap dispensers has been either the complete lack of adjustability or a quite difficult manner of adjustability for regulating the quantity of soap dispensed on each actuating lever dispensing stroke. With the cylinder-type of liquid soap dispensers, once the cylinder has been automatically filled with soap, the amount of soap dispensed on a piston dispensing stroke is automatically determined by the length of such stroke and as long as the person operating the dispenser moves the actuating lever its maximum intended movement, the same quantity of soap will be dispensed on each actuation. Thus, if the quantity of soap to be dispensed on each lever actuation is to be increased or decreased, some means must be provided for regulating the piston stroke within the cylinder. As previously stated, many of the prior soap dispensers have not included any such adjustability once the dispenser has been originally fabricated, while others, although including such adjustability, have done so in a manner which is exceedingly difficult and in many cases requires complete disassembly of the dispenser.
Still another deficiency with many of the prior soap dispensers has been that they are subject to "milking", that is, by an operator performing quickly repeated actuating strokes, it is possible to dispense quite large quantities of soap on an overall dispenser actuation, thereby not only needlessly wasting soap, but quickly depleting the soap supply. This danger of "milking" is particularly prevalent in liquid soap dispensers of the cylinder-type discussed and the possibilities thereof are determined by the time required for automatically refilling the cylinder after each actuating stroke combined with the viscosity of the particular liquid soap. It is seen, therefore, that for the control and prevention of such "milking", selective regulation of the automatic cylinder refilling is required in order to adapt the dispenser actuating stroke speeds and the time otherwise required for soap refilling flow in order to positively require sufficient hesitation between actuating strokes which will frustrate attempted "milking". Similar to the soap quantity regulation discussed in the foregoing, this soap flow regulation has frequently been completely lacking from the prior dispensers or at least without a major complex disassembly.
A still further factor of consideration with soap dispensers is the disassembly and reassembly of the main soap supply container where the same is arranged for ready replacement to replenish the main soap supply and the disassembly of all of the other major dispenser components required at relatively frequent intervals merely for maintenance purposes. As to the main soap supply container, due to the particular dispenser component positioning and, in many cases, a complex required manipulation of the container for such removal and replacement, there has been a danger of inadvertently actuating the dispenser and dispensing soap therefrom during this container removal and replacement in the prior constructions. Furthermore, as to the disassembly and reassembly of the major dispenser components, usually including the main soap supply container, in order that necessary maintenance operations may be performed, most of the prior dispensers have been lacking in that the various components have been positioned inaccessible and quite difficult of removal, thereby completely avoiding any consideration of the vitally necessary maintenance operations.